Fri February 27, 2015

Oilfield services company Baker Hughes Inc. says the number of rigs exploring for oil and natural gas in the U.S. fell by 43 this week to 1,267 amid depressed oil prices.

The Houston-based company said Friday in its weekly report that 86 rigs were exploring for oil and 280 for gas. One was listed as miscellaneous. A year ago 1,769 rigs were active.

Of the major oil- and gas-producing states, North Dakota's count fell by 11, Oklahoma lost nine, Louisiana seven, Texas six, New Mexico four, Colorado three and Wyoming two. West Virginia, Ohio and Kansas dropped one each.

Representatives of Oklahoma’s Muslim community, responding to complaints and criticism about their faith by some state lawmakers, came to the state Capitol Friday to learn how to become more politically engaged.

The event drew more than 100 participants and about two dozen protesters. The protesters, many with signs, stood outside the Capitol's south entrance chanting anti-Muslim statements.

VIDEO: A woman is removed from the Oklahoma State Capitol building Friday after she tried to disrupt a Muslim call to prayer.

Fri February 27, 2015

It's a day that we wish held no particular significance, but April 19, 1995 is etched in many Oklahomans' memory banks as the most horrific day in state history.

It started out as an ordinary day, or maybe some of us had plans to make it not so ordinary -- maybe a birthday or anniversary, a day off work or some other anticipated happening that would signify a break from routine.

Noah McQueen is part of "My Brother's Keeper," a White House program aimed at young men of color.

His teen years have been rough, and include several arrests and a short period of incarceration. But last week, he was at the White House. The 18-year-old sat down for a StoryCorps interview with President Obama, who wanted to know more about Noah's life.

8:34 pm

Thu February 26, 2015

An Oklahoma judge has ruled that the Humane Society of the United States must turn over one contested document and portions of two others to the attorney general's office, but can keep 21 others secret.

The Oklahoman reports that Oklahoma County District Judge Patricia Parrish ruled that the Humane Society can withhold the documents after the organization sued state Attorney General Scott Pruitt to block their release.